My Present Past
by BurningBomb303
Summary: Gokudera finally discovers a chance to tell Tsuna how he really feels, but when he's about to say it, more mischief with the Ten-Year Bazooka ensues, but with a twist. 5927! Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

_Dear Okaa-sama in Heaven, _

_How's life treating you? Or maybe I should say "death?" Whatever, how are you? Anyway, I know you must be lonely up there in Heaven and I know I've talked to you about joining you sometime soon, but I'm afraid that that's probably not going to happen any time soon. I've found something worth living for here. You'll never guess what it is. I think… I've fallen in love. _

"Gokudera-kun!" Ah, the voice of an angel. Gokudera opened his eyes and lifted his head a little and looked up towards the source of the lovely voice. The tiny brunette was leaning casually on the silverette's desk with a grin on his face.

"Ah, hi, Tenth, what's up?" Gokudera felt his face warm a little at the sight of his smaller boss.

"Guess what? I got my math test back and I got an 89%!" Tsuna said happily, grinning even wider. "Thanks so much for tutoring me the other day! It really helped me."

"No, no, of course, I would help you! I can't think of anything else I'd rather do," Gokudera said, straightening up instantly as his face darkened even more.

_I've devoted my entire life to this person. _

"As a thank you, I'd like to bring you out to town tomorrow since we have the day off before the long weekend," Tsuna said. "I'll take you out to lunch anywhere you'd like to do and then we can hang out and stuff."

_I'd do anything for this person. They've completely turned my life around ever since I met him. _

"Oh, Tenth, thank you for the offer, but you really don't have to," Gokudera said. "Your appreciation is thanks enough for me."

"No, no, I insist," Tsuna said.

"Really? Well, thank you, Tenth," Gokudera said happily.

"Cool," Tsuna straightened and clapped his hands jubilantly. "I'll see you later then."

_I'd go to the ends of the earth for him._

The bomber watched the young boy go and the second the brunette was gone, Gokudera realized how perfect this was. He would finally be alone with his Tenth and then he'd finally have the chance.

_Oh, yeah, I guess I forgot to mention something. It's a "him." Yeah, I know, I never thought it would end up this way either. Me being… gay. But the thing is, okaa-sama, that I don't really think of it as being gay. I feel nauseous whenever I think of being romantically involved with any of the other guys I hang around with. Its only him and I'm amazed at how much I care about him._

He'd finally have the perfect chance to let him know.

_And it seems now that I have the perfect opportunity to let him know how much that really is. _

He'd finally, finally have the chance to confess to the young Vongola.

_I love him, Mom, so much. I just hope against hope that he doesn't reject me. Well, I guess that's unrealistic. He is another guy after all. I can't be going around thinking that he'd just be in love with me too. I just hope that if he _does_ reject me, he can remain friends with me._

"How should I do it?" Gokudera found himself thinking over and over as he went home. "Should I just confess first thing tomorrow when I see him? No, because if he rejects me, it'll ruin the whole day. What about during lunch? Well, never mind the timing, how should I say it? 'I love you, Tenth?' Maybe I should just kiss him. Man, how I'd love to kiss him."

Gokudera found himself getting caught up in this thought. The Tenth was so small, he'd probably have to bend down to be able to kiss him. Or Tsuna would have to stand on his toes. The image was rather adorable and Hayato found himself blushing again.

_I'm so nervous when I'm around him, but I hope that maybe confessing to him will change that. I just hope that I won't be so nervous that I chicken out. I really want to go through with this. _

When Hayato got home, he could barely keep still, he was rushing all over the place, pacing back and forth, trying to make sure that nothing could go wrong the next day. He prepared his dynamite for any possibility of an attack, he decided _not_ to bring cigarettes, as he knew that his excessive smoking wasn't one of Tsuna's favorite things. When he finally felt that all had been taken care of, he sat down on his couch and rested for a moment.

_I don't know what tomorrow's going to be like, okaa-sama, but all I know is that something big is going to happen. _

The young bomber knew what he was in for: a night of lying awake, tossing and turning, hardly being able to wait for the morning to come so he could finally be with his Tenth. He started to busy himself again without really noticing it, trying to think if there was anything else he should prepare. Should he bring an extra jacket in case Tsuna gets cold? An umbrella in case of a storm?

He was still thinking when he heard a gentle piano melody playing from the other room. His black cell phone was buzzing against the table from his school bag and the song continued to play until he rushed to answer it.

"Moshimoshi?" he answered the phone casually.

"Hey, Gokudera-kun, its me," Tsuna innocent voice traveled through the receiver.

"Hello, Tenth!" Gokudera instantly changed his tone to that of a cadet addressing his warden.

"So, I was just wondering where you'd like to meet tomorrow?" Tsuna said. Gokudera was trying to assemble an image of the young Vongola in his mind. He was lying on his stomach with his phone in his hand. He had a small stick of pocky in his other hand, licking the chocolate off of it casually.

"Gokudera-kun?" Hayato was snapped out of his trance by that angelic voice again.

"I'm terribly sorry, Tenth, I wasn't listening," Gokudera said, feeling his face redden slightly.

"Its okay," he heard Tsuna giggle a little on the other end. "I said 'why don't we meet near the fountain in town square?' Say, eleven o' clock?"

"_No, because if I wait that long to be with you, I might explode," _Gokudera thought.

"That's sounds great, Tenth!" is what he actually said.

"Awesome! Did you think of anywhere you might want to eat at?" Tsuna asked.

"_No, because for last few hours I haven't thought of anything else except being with you," _the silverette mused in his head.

"Um, no, I haven't. Sorry, Tenth," Gokudera said.

"Its okay, we can just find somewhere to eat tomorrow. As long as that's okay with you," Tsuna said. "It is your day after all," Tsuna said.

"_Screw the food, all I want is to spend the day with you,"_ Gokudera thought to himself.

"Yes, thank you so much, Tenth!"

"I'll see you tomorrow then! Bye!"

"_I love you. Good bye."_

"Goodbye, Tenth!"

Gokudera pressed the "End" button on his phone and promptly flung himself backward onto his bed and covered his face with a pillow. Why was it so easy to think of what he wanted to say, but when he had the chance to say them, he couldn't even imagine himself having the gall to say such things.

He was very much aware that everything the Tenth had just said sounded everything like a date, but the young Vongola probably had no intention of it sounding that way. In fact, the only one who saw it that way was probably Gokudera himself. But still, Gokudera was happy with whatever he got from the little brunette.

Hayato sighed as he realized that he had always tried to get the most he could out of every thing the Tenth did or said. He wanted everything that the Sky guardian had to offer, even if in reality it was very little.

_What am I going to do, Okaa-sama? I'm really, really in love with him. So much so that I might not be able to think about anything else._

"_Oh, why, why? Goddammit, why?" _Gokudera thought worriedly as he sprinted down the street on his way to town. "_How could I, today of _all_ days, sleep in? I never sleep in! How could I sleep in today? This might just be the most important day of my life!_"

As the young bomber continued to rant in his head, it started to become clear _why_ exactly he had overslept. It was probably due to the fact that Gokudera had gotten little to no sleep at all the night before. He had been so excited for eleven o' clock the next morning to roll around, he'd forgotten to set his alarm clock and had spent the night tossing and turning while imagining wonderful yet staged scenes in which Gokudera would confess and Tsuna would lunge himself into the Storm guardian's arms and they'd live happily ever after and so on. Anyway, he had woken up at 10:47 exactly and he lived about twenty minutes away from the downtown area if he were to walk but he also had to get ready along with actually taking the time to get there.

So now, he was running for his life down the street of the small town of Namimori and prayed that the little Vongola wouldn't abandon him.

He checked his watch and swore colorfully in Italian when it told him that it was 11:07. He imagined the Tenth sitting alone on the edge of the fountain in the center of town, checking his watch and sighing dejectedly. He then imagined another girl coming over and chatting him up and then Tsuna would leave, forgetting completely about the tardy Storm guardian. Of course it was unrealistic for all of this to happen in seven minutes since the appointed meeting time, but love does crazy things to your head and Gokudera found himself praying that his imagination didn't become reality. That thought alone encouraged Hayato to quicken his pace and by 11:09 he was in town, doubled over and panting heavily. When he finally caught his breath, he straightened himself, used a few fingers to gather his silver bangs from his line of vision, and began to search anxiously for the small brunette.

He looked around, mostly for the head of lush, chocolate hair that the young Vongola was famous for and when he saw no sight of it, he became worried that his nightmares were coming true.

"Gokudera-kun!" the high-pitched voice called to him from behind and he whirled around to find Tsuna looking up at him, smiling. His spiky, brown hair was covered by an orange beanie that looked absolutely adorable on him.

"Tenth! My God, I'm so sorry I'm late! I overslept and then… then…" he trailed off as he watched the smaller boy shake his head, an understanding grin on his face.

"Its all right, Gokudera-kun I've probably kept you waiting a few times in the morning before school. Since I'm such a ditz and all," the young Vongola brushed the taller Italian's tardiness off like it was nothing and Gokudera wondered how anyone in the world could be so perfect as this angel. Who the hell would even think to call this boy Dame-Tsuna? To Gokudera, this child was absolutely flawless.

The silverette found himself blushing again and he shook his head to clear his thoughts before smiling down at Tsuna.

"Well, then, shall we get going?" Tsuna asked. He had placed his hands in the pockets of his black-and-orange striped sweatshirt and was looking at his right hand man with sparkling, mahogany eyes.

"Sure, Tenth, I'd love to," the silverette smiled, but at the same time he longed to hold one of those small, pale hands was saddened by lost chance.

It was a little later and they had found a small café in the middle of town and they found a table outside. It was October now and a cool, autumn air was setting, but the sun was still out and shining.

The waitress came and took orders for their drinks and they just sat in silence, not awkwardly, but they were both expecting something.

"Oh, yeah," Tsuna said, finally finding his voice. "I got you a little something since you helped me so much."

"Oh, Tenth! You didn't have to do that. You're already treating me to today, I-"

"No, no, I insist!" Tsuna reached into the pocket of his sweatshirt and from it he produced a small wrapped box. The paper around it was a deep red and it was wrapped in a pink bow.

"Sorry it looks so girly, but it was all I had around the house," Tsuna blushed a little, mistaking Gokudera's look of greed towards the present as one of uneasiness.

"No, no! Thank you, Tenth," he smiled brightly and took the present with a respectful bow of his head. He carefully unwrapped the present and opened the small box that was hidden behind the red paper. Gokudera's heart clenched as he looked down at his present: a black, woolen wristband that had a large skull and crossbones embroidered in white on it. The skull was shrouded in a dark, red flame, much like the flame that the young bomber was able to produce when in battle.

"Thank you so much, Tenth, I love it!" He picked it up carefully, as it if were porcelain, out of the box, and then pulled it onto his pale wrist. Just the feeling of the wool on his skin sent sparks through his body, mostly just because it was a present from his beloved Tenth.

"I saw it in a clothing store the other day and I instantly thought of you. I felt like I couldn't leave the store without getting it for you," the Tenth smiled and giggled a little and Hayato felt his heart jerk up out of his chest. The Tenth had been thinking about him when he wasn't around? He bought him a present out of nowhere? Alright, it was official now. This little brunette, the Tenth Vongola boss, was the most absolutely perfect being on the entire planet.

"T-Tenth, there's something I have to tell you!" he blurted out the words with such force that the brunette sent him a bewildered look from across the table that made the silverette recoil and blush. "S-Sorry, Tenth, I got a little carried away."

"Its alright, Gokudera-kun," Tsuna replaced his confused look with one of bright understanding and continued. "You can tell me anything."

Gokudera tensed. He never thought he'd make it to this point so easily and he was scared of how he should proceed. But when he looked up and saw those chocolate orbs sparkling with happiness and expectant innocence, all of his troubles melted away and he went for it.

"Well, the thing is… Tenth, that I…. I… I lo-" But the young Italian was cut off by a loud ringing in his ears. He looked around for the source of the noise and he found it when his crush disappeared from across the table in a puff of pink smoke.

"Tenth! Tenth, are you alright?" Gokudera called out into the smoke, searching for any signs that told him that his boss was alright.

_Wait, pink smoke like that only comes from the Ten-Year Bazooka!_ Gokudera thought, breathing a sigh of relief. _That means that the Tenth is fine, and his ten-year-older self will be here for only a few minutes._

When the smoke finally cleared, Gokudera was surprised not to see the twenty-five-year old Tsuna, but in his place a small child probably no more than five. He had a full head of chocolate hair that spiked up in all directions in a messy yet adorable way. He had large brown crystals for eyes, which were swimming a little with bright tears. There was an unusual tint of pink that was sprinkled across the child's face that only added to his innocence. Hayato's breath hitched as he stared in awe at the five-year-old Sawada Tsunayoshi.

_Okaa-sama…. It seems that everything just got a lot more complicated._

"W-What the hell?" Gokudera cried, staring down at the whimpering child in alarm.

Said child looked around frantically, moaning a little in fear as he realized that he had no idea where he was. He burst into tears and wailed loudly. "Mama! Papa! Where are you!"

Gokudera flinched and reached over towards the child. He held the baby underneath his arms and watched awkwardly as the baby continued to cry. Then, when he was at a loss for anything else to do, he brought the child to his chest and let him cry against his sweatshirt.

"Well, this doesn't exactly look good now, does it?" a high-pitched chirp came from behind them as the Yellow Arcobaleno walked up.

"Reborn-san, what's going on here?" Gokudera shouted. "Why is the Tenth a child?"

"Well, I'm afraid that this is the handiwork of another Giannini special," Reborn sighed, tipping the rim of his fedora towards the bawling Tsuna.

Just then, Gokudera heard the engineer's signature, syrupy laugh and took a precautionary step to the left as he came crashing down, missing both him and the Vongola completely. The young Tsuna looked up at the groaning Giannini and giggled cutely.

"I was in the middle of modifying the Ten-Year Bazooka so that it worked back in time and you switched places with yourself from the past," Giannini said simply.

"What purpose does that serve?" Gokudera asked irately.

"In case there is any business you need to take care of in the past," the engineer chuckled to himself. "But that's really pointless, because there can't be trouble in the past since the past already happened."

"Took the words right out of my mouth," Gokudera sighed. "So now we just have to wait for five minutes to pass, right?"

"Not quite," Reborn said, glaring at the young mechanic.

"You see, I said I was in the 'middle' of modifying the bazooka, so to speak," Giannini said nervously.

"And?"

"Well, something went wrong and now the person in question will stay switched with their other self until I can fix the weapon," Giannini said.

"What?" Gokudera cringed. The poor fifteen-year-old Tenth would have no way of telling what was happening. "How long will that take?"

"A day and a half, approximately," Giannini said matter-of-factly.

"Take care of this infant until then, Gokudera," Reborn said. "We wouldn't anything happening to the present Tsuna."

"What? That's completely…." He started to protest but then his glance lingered toward the young boy in his arms. He was sniffling but then he noticed Gokudera's gaze on him and looked up.

"Um… Is something wrong? Gray-haired onii-san?" the little Tsuna said.

"My name is Gokudera Hayato," he said flatly.

"Oh… then is something wrong, Hayato-niisan?"

Gokudera inhaled sharply as he saw the face of his best friend in this child, his cherubic features tainted with worry. Worry that was concentrated on someone that this child had just met and all of the reasons that Hayato loved Tsuna came rushing back to him all at once.

"Alright, I'll take care of him," Gokudera gave in, not taking his gaze away from the even-younger-than-the-usual-young Vongola.

"I thought you would. Good choice, Gokudera. We'll check in with you later," Reborn said. He and Giannini left (well, Giannini floated away) and the Italian teenager was left with the little boy who was now squirming uncomfortably in Hayato's arms. However, the silverette just stared into space and didn't notice the little one's discomfort until he whimpered a little.

"Oh, what's the problem?" Hayato said.

"Um, well…. I don't really understand what's going on right now…," the child said. "Do you know where my mommy is?"

"Um, no… well, actually, yeah, kind of, but…." He sighed, not having any idea what to say to the little one. What's more, the older boy's stuttering frightened the little boy and he was starting to whimper again.

"U-Um, actually, your mom and dad are both out today and they wanted me to watch you. But don't worry I'll take good care of you," he put the little boy down and looked down at him, astonished by how small he was.

"B-But Mommy didn't say anything about me spending the day with anyone and I don't think I've ever met Hayato-niisan before and-"

Hayato bent down and put his hands on the little boy's shoulders. His hands were so big that Tsuna's small shoulders couldn't support them and the edges of them fell off of them.

"Look, I know we never met before and I know this seems strange to you because its never happened before. But I can promise you beyond a shadow of a doubt that I will protect you from anything. Okay?" Hayato said and he blushed when he realized how lame it sounded.

The little one observed the Storm guardian for a minute and then he spoke, "Promise?" He held out a tiny pinky finger.

The Italian was thrown off a little by the question. But he quickly regained himself and looked seriously at the smaller Tsuna. "Promise." Gokudera took up the finger and twisted his own pinky around the child Sky guardian's. He felt the boy squeeze the older boy's tightly and Gokudera was surprised at how dependent the infant boss was.

"Alright, then, let's go to my house then, okay?" Gokudera said.

"O-Okay," Tsuna said. They started walking down the street in the direction in which Gokudera had been coming no more than thirty minutes ago. They walked in silence, of course, because what kind of conversation could a fifteen-year-old have with the five-year old version of the boy he was in love with? "Hi, there, kid… I wanna make out with the you from the future"? That would go swimmingly. But still, the little boy seemed so uncomfortable being so quiet and confused. Hayato almost felt obligated to say something to the child.

"Um, so…" But as the taller boy started to say something, the tiny Vongola lifted his hand and placed it into the bigger, longer hand of the silverette. The both boys looked at each other, the teen looking confused at the child, the child looking for any sign of approval or at least acceptance from the older boy. Gokudera didn't know what to do or say but he steadily felt his face redden as he smiled at the younger boy. The child responded by smiling a wide grin from ear-to-ear and squeeze the older boy's hand tighter.

"Hayato-niisan, where is your house?" Tsuna asked.

Hayato eyed him carefully and Tsuna recoiled, wondering if he'd been too bold.

"My house is only about ten minutes up here. Would you like me to… carry you?" Hayato's face darkened again, not from what he had said, but who he had said it to, regardless of how old he was.

"No, its alright. I wouldn't want to bother you," the little Tsuna said, smiling his innocent smile up at the silverette. Gokudera easily saw the side of his boss that he knew so well in this child – the side that didn't want to cause anyone trouble. What this child didn't know was that Gokudera would be more than happy to fulfill any wish that the Vongola had. So without another word, he reached down and scooped up the little boy and carried him down the street with him.

"Hayato-niisan, I already said you didn't need too," Tsuna's entire face was pink and it was obvious that he felt that he'd made Gokudera feel guilty or feel that he needed to carry him. "Why are you carrying me?"

"Because I want to," Gokudera said flatly. "And also because you remind me of someone very important to me."

"Really?" Tsuna asked, his initial guilt gone and now replaced with childish curiosity. "Who is it?"

"My boss… and my best friend," Gokudera would never be so audacious as to tell Tsuna himself (at least his fifteen-year-old self) that he thought of him as his best friend. The bomber always felt that there needed to be a certain distance between boss and lackey. Despite that, Gokudera realized, he had been trying to get _very_ close to the brunette earlier. But this time, he wasn't really ashamed; he just wanted to hold the Tenth close to him.

At that moment, it also occurred to the Storm guardian that he probably couldn't call this child "Tenth", he'd be so confused that it just wouldn't be fair. But he would have to call him by his name. Gokudera had never done so before and he felt uncomfortable with it – the same "boss-and-minion" relationship barrier had come up again. So how should he say it? "Tsuna-kun?" No, that was too familiar. Not that familiarity was bad. Maybe he could go with that. "Tsuna-chan?" Hayato blushed yet again. What if he were to actually call the present Tsuna that when he returned? He would never be able to look the Tenth in the face again. "Tsuna-san?" None of these names felt right. Hayato sighed, defeated, and finally decided.

"Tsuna, we're here now," he said, gently putting the boy down. "I live on the third floor."

He stood behind the small boy and watched as he walked clumsily up the stairs towards the next corridor. He stumbled and almost fell once, but was quickly saved when Gokudera caught him and held his hand all the way up to the third floor.

"Stay here while I get my key, okay?" he told the boy as he started to search his pockets for the small, gold key. When he finally found it he looked down to find the child still there, his big eyes watching his "babysitter" in wonder. He was happy that the boy stayed by his side and didn't run away like other children would.

He opened the door, disappointed by returning home so quickly as it felt like his initial goal had not been accomplished. He felt incomplete. But he snapped back to the present when he noticed that the little boy hadn't followed him into the house and was still standing out on the corridor outside.

"Hey, aren't you going to come in? Its cold out there," Gokudera said, looking over at the doorway and the miniscule brunette that stood in it.

"Um… okay," the little boy shuffled in nervously, afraid of being scolded despite his being invited into the house.

"Are you alright?" he didn't know what else he could say to the obviously distraught boy.

"Um, well, it feels like I'm intruding on your house," the tiny Tsuna looked up at Hayato with a reddened face. Hayato was taken aback by this kid's conscience. Where did he learn these kids of manners at this age?

"Its quite alright, you're my guest," he felt awkward speaking this way to a child, but he seemed polite and understanding beyond his years, much like his own self ten years later.

At that moment, the little one's stomach growled loudly and his pale complexion disappeared under a ruby red blush once again. "I-I'm sorry," he muttered quietly.

"Its fine, its fine, don't apologize so much, okay?" he said as he knelt down next to Tsuna but he was caught by his own words. Where had he heard these very words spoken before? From the mouth of this child, only ten years later. Whenever Gokudera felt that he'd done something wrong, he'd apologize over and over until he was either forgiven or felt that he'd either a) beaten himself up enough to count towards an acceptable punishment, or b) given himself slight brain damage. But Tsuna had always said the same thing.

"Don't apologize so much, okay? I forgive you." He'd always forgiven him no matter what he'd done (however most of the time he hadn't done anything wrong at all.) He felt the irony of giving advice to the very person who'd said these words to him and felt a little hypocritical.

"I'll make you something to eat. You can just sit in the other room, okay?" he said gently. The little boy nodded and walked away.

_Okaa-sama, I don't really know what to do about this_. The silverette started searching through his kitchen for something the little one would want to eat. _I still love him no matter what, but it hurts. _

He finally found something: instant ramen. It wasn't much, but living by himself had its disadvantages, one of which being when he had unexpected guests. He usually bought his food as he needed to and as a result there were times when he had very little around the house to share with others. He poured water into the pot and while he waited for it to boil, he glanced down towards the black wristband that encircled his pale wrist.

_It hurts to now know what's going on with him while this is going on. Is he alright? Is he worried or confused? I would be. Okaa-sama, all I want is to know where that he's okay. I-I can't stop thinking about him. _

"_But he's right here with you now,_" his mind said to him and he knew that, but… It was all just so confusing. The one he loved was right here with him, but he was also years and years away. No, that wasn't right. The Tenth he loved wasn't here. At least not yet. The Tenth he loved was still a decade in the past. This Tenth wasn't the Tenth he knew… yet. He rubbed his head. He was giving himself a headache.

"Hayato-niisan, Hayato-niisan, look!" Tsuna came running out of Hayato's bedroom, looking very excited.

"What is it?" Gokudera knelt down to see what the little one had.

"I found some candles! Why do you keep them in your room?" he held up one of the orange dynamite sticks that were ever present around this particular household.

"Um, because they're very special candles. They help me, uh… sleep at night," Hayato knew it was a pretty lame excuse but he couldn't very well tell Tsuna that he kept dynamite around the house. He could tell anyone, but if he were to tell this Tsuna and it changed the present Tsuna, he might… no, he'd definitely be afraid of him when he came back.

"Oh," the small brunette said, examining the dynamite in his hand curiously. "Okay." And with that, he walked away. Gokudera watched the little boy go and sighed. He was so angelic this way, but he something about this whole situation seemed… wrong. He was becoming flustered over a child. But of course it was his Tenth so… he had no idea what to think anymore.

He then remembered that he was making lunch and turned back to the stove to find the water boiling so he put the noodles in and, having nothing better to do, sat down at his kitchen table.

He sat and before he knew it he was daydreaming again. He wondered what the Vongola was doing right now. Had he appeared in the past out of nowhere? Oh, shit, his parents were probably wondering where their son was. He was only five, they would never be able to tell that the Tsuna that had appeared in his place was really their fifteen-year-old son. Actually, the two Tsuna's looked almost identical save the height and obvious puberty-related differences. But regardless, they'd never believe such a ridiculous idea.

He sighed again and placed his chin in his hand, looking at nothing in particular in the distance. He was only made aware of his surroundings when he heard a sound he knew so well that he almost didn't notice it. The sound of an ignited dynamite fuse. Gokudera started, looking around for the source of the sound. Then he was struck with a horrible idea and bolted into his room where his suspicions were confirmed.

The five-year-old Sky guardian was sitting on the floor of Hayato's room, holding a lit stick of dynamite and the fuse was getting close to its end.. Without thinking twice about it, the Storm guardian grabbed the stick of dynamite and ran to the window, prying it open and throwing it out the window, all in one swift movement. Tsuna had run behind him, wondering why his "candle" had been taken from him and watched in awe as it flew through the air and while it flew, the fuse finally ran out and Gokudera grabbed the small Vongola and turned his back to the window as the dynamite exploded, shielding Tsuna.

Tsuna cried out in surprise and fear as the deafening sound rattled their eardrums and shook the entire apartment complex.

Gokudera silently cursed himself for getting those special dynamite made. It was unrealistic to believe that he'd have a cigarette ready to light his dynamite with him at all times, so he had ordered custom-made dynamite that when held a certain way, lit on their own. Tsuna was both impressed and terrified that his young boss had learned to make them light so quickly.

Speaking of his boss, he glanced down at the little boy in his arms, who was now weeping softly.

"What's wrong, Ten-… Tsuna?" Gokudera asked, his boss's given name still not feeling quite right on his tongue.

"I-I don't know. I just lit that candle and Hayato-niisan got all upset and then…" he blubbered some more things that Hayato couldn't comprehend and watched silently as the child rubbed his eyes as he sobbed. "I don't know exactly what I did, but I know it was wrong and I'm sorry" the brunette concluded before he broke down into more sobs.

Gokudera's heart strings pulled so hard that they almost felt like they'd be pulled right out of his chest and he held the little one closer to his chest.

"Its okay, Tsuna, its okay," Gokudera said as the boy turned around and threw himself into the Italian's arms.

_Okaa-sama, I don't really know for sure but… I think I'm falling in love with him all over again._


	2. Chapter 2

Gokudera felt really self-conscious. Why shouldn't he? He was a fifteen-year-old boy holding a tiny five-year-old's hand down a busy Namimori street. But what was he supposed to do? Along with the impromptu explosion right outside of his apartment window, he hadn't been paying attention to the little boy's ramen and had started a little fire in his kitchen. Luckily, 2 out of the 5 pots in the kitchen at the time survived and three cabinets were still usable. However, the only thing that didn't survive was the noodles and as it was his only package, they were forced to eat lunch out.

Tsuna still looked uneasy about the entire ordeal.

"Hayato-niisan, I'm really not all that hungry, honest," but the child's telltale stomach growled again and he shrunk away, blushing.

"Really, its ok, I don't mind," Hayato said, but in all reality, it wasn't okay. Most of what had happened today was not the little Sky guardian's fault. Both of the boys had just been in the wrong place (more like wrong occupation) at the wrong time.

"Th-Thank you," the little one said. He squeezed the Italian teen's hand tighter.

Hayato slowed his pace a little; it took three of Tsuna's quick, scuffling steps to keep up with one of Gokudera's long strides. He sighed for the umpteenth time that hour. He felt his heart speeding up again as he realized how soft and small the little hands were. How cute and innocent his entire personage was. And this boy was ten years younger than him. Gokudera tensed in disgust with himself as he realized how pedophilic this all seemed. But it really wasn't like that, right? Because… he was in love with the older version of this kid but… the fact remained that he was five and Gokudera was fifteen and… His head was spinning with confusion and worry when he heard a voice he despised.

"Oi! Gokudera!" the raven-haired boy ran up, a large, blue duffel bag slung over his shoulder casually.

"Ch'. What do you want, you yakyu-baka?" Gokudera said, about twelve times more irritated than he'd been before.

Yamamoto brushed off the hostility and continued in his usual chipper manner. "I thought you were supposed to be out with Tsuna today?"

"How did you know that?" the silverette said, continuing to glare, annoyed, at the Rain guardian.

"Tsuna told me. He seemed really excited about it. Did he head home already?" Yamamoto asked.

Gokudera glanced at the little brunette for a second and then looked back at the jock. Could he really not notice the resemblance between the two people? But at the same time, he smiled to himself. The Tenth had been excited about their outing today?

"Oh, look another little kid!" Yamamoto bent down and picked up the kid and examined him closely. "Aww, he's cute!"

"Hey! Give him back, yakyuu-baka!" Gokudera snapped.

"He looks a lot like Tsuna actually," Yamamoto said, laughing. "How interesting. Who is he?"

"Um… he's… my cousin?" Gokudera said, unsure of what else to say.

"Oh, yeah, I can see the resemblance!" Yamamoto said cheerfully.

"_You've got to be kidding me!"_ Gokudera thought as he just stared at the raven-haired swordsman.

"Well, I've gotta get going to practice. I'll see you later," Yamamoto said, turning and running off in the direction he'd come.

"Yeah, whatever," Gokudera said, taking Tsuna's hand in his again.

"Hayato-niisan, who was that?" Tsuna said, looking up at the silverette questioningly.

"Just my idiot of a friend," he replied. "Don't worry about it."

"I didn't know we were cousins," Tsuna said.

"We're not," Gokudera said shortly. The bomber looked down at his wristband again. To be in love with a child who would also be your cousin? This situation just kept getting not only worse, but illegal. This kind of stuff only happened in the mafia.

"Hayato-niisan?" Tsuna called and snapped Hayato out of his thoughts.

"Huh?" he looked down at the little boy and tried to smile.

"You keep looking at that thing around your wrist. What is it?" he reached up and grabbed the older boy's wrist and yanked it towards him so he could see it a little better. "It's pretty scary."

"Don't say that!" Hayato pulled his wrist back faster and more forcefully than he'd meant to.

Tsuna took notice of the Italian's reaction and was quiet for a while.

They finally got to the center of town and without even realizing it, Gokudera had led both himself and the little one back to the exact restaurant in which the one he loves had been forcefully sent through the time stream until he landed on his ass ten years prior to that very moment (Again, this is quality mafia shenanigans.)

"_Great," _Gokudera thought grumpily. _"Now I can wallow in self-pity because it looks like I'm on a date with a five-year-old."_

They sat down and Gokudera busied himself with ordering the two of them drinks and trying to ignore the giggling girls behind them, muttering in not-so-hushed voices about how hot the "gray-haired foreigner" was. The bomber rolled his eyes and plopped his chin down onto his outstretched hand lazily. Tsuna watched him carefully, sipping quietly from the glass of juice that the waitress (who had also fallen victim to the irresistible charms of the Storm guardian) had brought him a few minutes before. Then, when Gokudera subconsciously peered at the wristband again, he decided to make himself known.

"Did you get that from your girlfriend?" he asked innocently but still looking away nervously as the silverette addressed him.

"What? No," he snorted noisily. "Why would you think I have a girlfriend?"

"Um..." Tsuna tensed a little when he watched Gokudera's eyes cloud ominously. "Well, I heard all these girls around us talking about how cute you were and how its such a shame you have to take care of 'the little, spiky-headed brat' on a day off." He had said it quickly and all in one breath as he was scared that Gokudera might get mad at him.

Gokudera's eyes narrowed and Tsuna recoiled, worrying that he'd done something wrong. But instead, Gokudera whipped around in his seat, causing the chains attached to his hip to clang metallically against the chair, and glared maliciously at the girls behind them. They giggled flirtatiously at him at first, but when they saw the expression on his face, they turned around in their seats and were from then on terrified of turning around again.

He grunted angrily and turned back to the tiny brunette. To his surprise (or not), he was looking down at his lap, a guilty expression on his face. When Tsuna noticed that Gokudera was looking at him again, he whimpered and looked up at the bomber worriedly. Gokudera smiled reassuringly at him and motioned for him to come over. When Tsuna had made his way over to where Gokudera's chair was, he picked him up and set him gently in his lap. The not-yet Sky guardian looked at Gokudera questioningly, who only smiled back down at him again.

"WAAAAAAH! SOOOO CUUTE!" a shrieking voice pierced through the café as a young, brown-haired girl trotted excitedly towards Gokudera and Tsuna.

_"Freakin' wonderful," _Gokudera thought.

She finally made her way over to the two boys and without a word to either of them, scooped Tsuna up in her arms.

"He's adooorable! Haru is very happy to meet you, sweetie," Haru said, hugging Tsuna tightly to her chest.

"H-Huh?" Tsuna squirmed.

"He looks a lot like Tsuna-san!" she chirped happily. Then her tone changed immediately and she turned to the Storm guardian. "So what is he doing with _you?_"

"It sounds like you wanna start a fight, ahou-onna!" Gokudera said, holding up a fist near her nose.

"What the heck are you teaching children? Fighting? Calling beautiful girls stupid? You fiend!" Haru gasped. She turned back to the little boy and nuzzled her nose against his. "He's such a tyrant, isn't he?"

"U-Um, I like him…" Tsuna said quietly.

"How tragic! You've already sculpted his mind into a lump of gross Gokudera-ness!"

Gokudera scoffed, turning to the side and flipping her the bird.

"Ugh! How dare you do such vulgar things in front of a child? This is ridiculous! He can't stay with you. I'm taking him home with me," Haru said.

When Tsuna heard this, he started to whimper loudly and squirm. "Hayato-niisan…" he called worriedly.

"What the hell? No, you're not! You don't even know him!" Gokudera said. "Now give him back to me." Gokudera reached over to Tsuna and the child reached towards the silverette, his eyes sparkling with tears about to be shed, but Haru turned her back towards the Storm guardian, moving Tsuna away from his grasp.

"Well, we'll see about that!" she looked down at the baby and smiled dotingly. "What's your name, sweetie?"

Tsuna didn't say anything, he just looked over Haru's shoulder at Gokudera.

"Honey, I said 'what's your name'," Haru said again, this time with a little less cheer.

"Um… Tsu-"

"He doesn't have to tell you, ahou-onna," Gokudera said, finally getting close enough to the girl so that he could take his boss back from here.

"You're so rude! You're turning this angel's pristine white heart jet black. Its enough to bring Haru to tears!" Haru fake-wept and grabbed for the infant again.

"Um… Hayato-niisan, this girl is weird and really pushy," Tsuna said, looking up at the silverette.

"Hahii!"

"Yes, I know," he said before he turned back to the brunette girl with the appalled expression on her face. "I think its time for you to go."

"What a rude kid! Haru doesn't have to take this!" she stomped away stormily as people around her stared.

"I don't like her," Tsuna said, glaring in her direction.

"That makes two of us," Gokudera said. "I can't imagine why the Tenth lets her hang around us."

"Tenth?" Tsuna asked questioningly.

"Oh, um… its nobody," Gokudera said, forgetting for a second that he was in fact talking to the Tenth. But the worst part of it was that he was lying. Tsuna wasn't nobody to him. He was everything to him.

They sat down at the table again and Tsuna stayed on Hayato's lap this time.

"Hayato-niisan, can I ask you something?

"Anything," the bomber replied.

"Um… it seems like a lot of people don't really like you," Tsuna said and he instantly looked like he regretted saying anything, but he knew he had to finish what he started, so he continued. "Why, um… why is that?"

Hayato smiled and took Tsuna's small hands in his own. "Its okay. I think people don't really like me because I'm not nice to them."

"Why? You're nice to me," Tsuna said pointedly.

"Yeah, but I like you," Gokudera said, trying to sound nonchalant about confessing to a five-year old. "I mean, you're different than everyone else."

"Isn't there anyone besides me who likes you?" Tsuna asked.

"_Yes_, _or at least I hope so,_" Gokudera thought.

"Actually, yes. Or at least I like to think so," Gokudera said. "He's the 'Tenth' person I was talking about."

"Do you like him? Are you nice to him?" Tsuna said, touching Gokudera's long pianist fingers individually and held them in his tiny hands.

"I like him a lot," Gokudera stared off into space as he said this. "He's really the only one I'm nice to."

"Why?"

Gokudera jumped a little and his face turned a little pink. He actually had no idea why it was like that with Tsuna.

"I don't really know," Gokudera said.

"Well, do you wanna know what I know?" Tsuna asked quietly.

"What's that?" Gokudera replied.

"I like you," Tsuna stood up on Gokudera's lap and kissed the silverette lightly on the nose. The kiss lasted a few seconds and he sat back down on the Italian's lap when he was through. The separation of skin was like an enormous electric shock so dramatic that the older of the two flinched.

Tsuna's face broke into a huge grin as he looked back up at his babysitter, but the smile quickly left his face when he saw how red the silverette's was.

"Hayato-niisan, what's wrong? Your face is so red," he pointed at the silverette's face, which was almost twitching as he stared wide-eyed into nothing. His face was reddened to the point that his head resembled a tomato and popped out dramatically compared to his silver hair.

He finally regained himself when he felt the small brunette's worried gaze upon him.

"Oh, uh… nothing," he stuttered lamely. He was really going to have a problem with this, wasn't he?

They finished the rest of their lunch in a heavy silence, one side confused by his babysitter's strange antics, the other worried about his possible pedophilia.

It was only until they were on their way home did one of them finally break the awkward silence that had fallen over them.

"Hayato-niisan, can we go to the park?" Tsuna asked, glancing towards the children playing jubilantly on the playground.

Hayato was exhausted; mentally, physically, and emotionally, however he couldn't bring himself to disappoint his boss; past, present, and future. So, he put on his best "I'm-so-not-about-to-pass-out-from-exhaustion" face, took the young boy's hand, and led him towards the park.

Tsuna wasted no time running over to the playground, giggling happily and waving back to the silverette when he made it to the other side of the swing set. Gokudera waved back and he sat on a nearby bench, Before he knew it, he had leaned back against the bench and he had started resting his eyes. 'Only for a second', he told himself as he shut his eyes, but no sooner had his lids touched were they ripped open again as he heard a shriek pierce the air.

Hayato opened his eyes and they fell open the young Vongola, cornered into the end of the sandbox, a rather large Doberman sniffing around idly nearby. The large dog didn't seem to have any intention of attacking the child, he actually seemed to not have noticed him at all, but regardless, Tsuna shrieked and cried as if it were charging at him, snarling.

Gokudera was on his feet and bolting over to where the Sky was cowering in a heartbeat and Tsuna was in his arms seconds later. Tsuna buried his head in Gokudera's chest and squeezing him tight while the teen turned to the dog. He reached into his belt and grabbed a stick of dynamite while he glared menacingly at the dog. Gokudera had no cigarette in his mouth, as he had refused to smoke a single cancer stick while in the company of the five-year-old version of his boss. He lit in manually, as Tsuna had done not to long before and it sizzled angrily. As if the loud sizzling of the explosive wasn't enough, the dog whimpered under the Storm's icy gaze and stalked away.

Gokudera didn't look down at the baby, as he didn't want to see him so upset, but he did hoist him a little higher in his arms and walked briskly towards the bench he had been occupying before the "attack."

He sat down, still clutching the tiny boy lovingly, letting him cry himself out. Before long he had calmed himself down considerably and had reduced to sniveling quietly against Hayato's chest. The boy's tiny hands were still hanging onto the bomber's shirt for dear life.

Hayato didn't mind the crying, or the fact that his shirt was getting stained (a perk of wearing only black: not a lot of stains are noticeable,) but it did worry him a little how much the little one was shaking. He debated in his head whether or not to say anything or just leave Tsuna be, but finally he rubbed Tsuna's back and said, "Tsuna? Are you okay?" in the most soothing voice he had.

Tsuna didn't say anything, but he felt Tsuna's grip on his shirt tighten, acknowledging that he had in fact heard Gokudera.

He leaned back against the bench and laced his fingers through the child's chocolate hair. The boy responded by shifting himself even closer to the teen. The older guardian started stroking the child's head, loving the feeling of the brunette hair through his fingers. It felt soothing and as he started to find a rhythm, he also felt himself drifting off and before he knew it, he had fallen asleep.

What felt like a minute had actually melted into hours and when his eyes finally opened, the once blue sky had now become a dark cherry red. He yawned lazily, mentally cursing himself for allowing himself to fall asleep on a park bench… again. He stood up and stretched out his stiff back, feeling the bones crack uncomfortably. As he regained his regular posture, he felt this lingering feeling that something was off. He looked around and couldn't for the life of him figure out what was wrong with this picture.

But he soon figured out what was wrong as the memories of that day all came back to him in a crash. He realized in horror that the smaller version of his boss was nowhere to be found. He searched frantically around the playground for him, but every square inch of the park was empty. He felt his face reddening and his forehead started dripping with a cold sweat. How could he lose a child? How could he allow himself to fall asleep and lose a child? Especially his boss?

He started running because he had no idea of what else to do. He only stopped when his face smacked into something. He fell to the ground and looked up only to come face-to-face with the Rain guardian.

"Whoa, you're in a hurry," Yamamoto laughed, but the grin quickly left his face when he saw the look on Gokudera's.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," Gokudera spat. He only realized he was crying when his hand subconsciously lifted up and wiped tears away as they streaked down his face. "I'm fine. Shut up."

"Okay," Yamamoto said, and just like that his smile was back. "Anyway, I came over here because I was wondering what your cousin was doing."

"What the hell are you talking about, you idiot?" Gokudera said, growling and blinking as he felt more tears well up in his eyes.

"The little kid from earlier? Your cousin?" Yamamoto said, trying to explain who it was to Gokudera. He laughed when he saw the confused and somehow still annoyed look on the Storm's face. "You know, the kid who looks like Tsuna?"

"What about him, jackass?" Gokudera said, turning his head as he felt a whole other round of tears welling up at the mention of his missing boss.

"Well, I just saw him in the field down the street from here," Yamamoto said, pointing behind his own shoulder towards the path away from the park.

"What? You did?" Gokudera ran past the Rain guardian and looked down the road where the raven-haired boy was pointing.

"You _lost_ your cousin?" Yamamoto laughed. "You dummy!"

But Gokudera had already run down the street, hoping beyond hope that the baseball-idiot had grown a molecule of a brain the one time he needed it.

He streaked down the street and when he came to the field, he was greeted with the most amazing sight ever. Okay, well, maybe not _ever_ but it was definitely what he wanted to see. Tsuna was sitting in the field. He was truly a vision; his tiny body was bent over so that only his body from the shoulders up were showing. A golden sunset threw light over him and his whole body shimmered in it.

Gokudera walked silently towards the child and the Sun guardian saw him and smiled at him. He was confused when the teen bent down and pulled him into his arms without saying another word.

"Hayato-niisan, are you okay?" Tsuna said, returning the hug even though he was still confused.

"No," Gokudera said. Tsuna started as he heard this and pulled back so he could look at the Storm guardian.

"Why? What's wrong?" the panic in his voice made Gokudera smile, but at the same time it made his heart ache.

"I thought I lost you," Gokudera said quietly.

"B-But… I was just…" his cocoa-colored eyes were filling up with silver tears, his cherubic lip had started to quiver.

"Don't worry. Its fine," Gokudera placed a hand on his head, his fingers lying in his hair. "I was just really worried about you. I don't know what I'd do if anything took you away from me."

"I-I'm sorry, Hayato-niisan," Tsuna said. "I didn't mean to make you worry."

"Its okay," he turned the little child around his lap and laid his chin on top of his head. "What were you doing over here?"

"I was making you a flower necklace," Tsuna reached down and lifted up the ring of daisies that he had strung together. "You know, to thank you."

"Thank me for what?"

"For saving me from that dog," Tsuna said. He stood up in the bomber's lap and placed the necklace over his head. "No one else would've done that for me."

Gokudera smiled and bent down to kiss Tsuna on the forehead. "Let's go home now."

He stood up and as he did, he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He removed his black cell phone from his jeans and flipped it open to find that he'd received a new text message.

"_Giannini figured out the Ten Year Bazooka. Tsuna should return to our time in about half an hour. Bring him home now. –Reborn."_

Gokudera's hand shook as he flipped the phone closed.

"Hayato-niisan, aren't we going back to your house?" Tsuna asked.

"No, we're gonna go somewhere else," Gokudera said, swallowing the lump in his throat. He was excited. His beloved boss was coming home. It had been a long day and he wanted to see him again. But at the same time… he was devastated. This boy… This little boy whom he had only known for less than twenty-four hours had effectively torn the Italian's heart to shreds. He was beautiful and smart and incredible and he could see right into Gokudera's heart; almost like the fifteen-year-old Tsuna could.

He made his way over to the Sawada house in a daze and when he got there, he felt like it was much too soon. He walked up to the door, only muttered a quiet "hello" to Nana, who didn't question the tiny boy who was the spitting image of her son, and he walked up the stairs.

He walked into Tsuna's room to find the mechanic with Reborn.

"Ah, you brought him back. Good," Reborn said. "And with seven minutes to spare. You can go now."

Hayato nodded and turned to leave. He was halfway down the hall when he heard a whine behind him and turned to see the baby Tsuna behind him.

"Hayato-niisan, where are you going?" Tsuna said.

"Um… I'm going home now," Gokudera said sadly.

"Without me?" Tsuna asked and Gokudera nearly lost it. But he regained himself and turned back to the child.

"Yeah… yeah, without you," he said.

"B-But why?"

"Because its time for you to go home now," the silverette said.

"But I don't wanna go home," Tsuna was close to sobbing now. "I wanna stay with you."

"You can't," Gokudera said. "I have to go."

"No!" Tsuna hugged Gokudera and clung to him, crying into his sleeve.

Gokudera rubbed his head and lifted it gently. "Don't worry. You'll see me again," he said. It was the truth, but at the same time it was a lie.

"When?"

"I don't know. Take care until then, okay?" he kissed the boy on the forehead one more time before he turned around. But the brunette still tugged on his sleeve.

"Tsuna, I have to-" but he was cut off. The five-year-old had pressed his tiny lips to Gokudera's.

"I love you, Hayato-niisan," he said. Then he finally turned around and went back to where Reborn was waiting.

Hayato didn't even remember walking out the door. His head was still spinning with the words he had longed for for so long. He couldn't believe that he had finally heard it. He didn't care that he had just accepted the confession of a child. It still meant the world to him.

He made it to the gate and the Yellow Arcobaleno was waiting for him.

"What's the matter with you?" he chirped impatiently.

"Nothing," Gokudera said.

"Did that kid really have that much of an impact on you?"

Hayato ignored the baby and left, turning on to the street and returning home.

Hayato sat at home, too tired to cry, too sad to sleep. The entire day had been so long but somehow it was still only 7:45. Tsuna had changed back about fifty minutes ago. He lay down on his bed, staring at the ceiling. He didn't know what to do with himself now. He wasn't sure that he could face the real Tenth again. He would never be able to see Tsuna the same way after being with his younger self. He'd miss him too much.

He heard a banging on his door and considered ignoring it, but the incessant noise just would not stop, so he dragged himself out of bed and made his way over to the door of his apartment. He didn't even bother looking out of the peephole. He didn't care.

He unlocked his door and turned the handle. No sooner had he opened the door was he being ambushed. Well, not all of him. Just his lips. He grunted in surprise and tried to move, but he only ended up with a bunch of brown hair in his face. When his "attacker" finally let go, Gokudera was shocked to find himself staring at his boss, grinning from ear to ear.

"T-T-Tenth?" he felt himself redden. Had he just been k-k-kissed? By _**TSUNA? **_"What's-"

"It was you!" Tsuna said, throwing his arms around Gokudera and holding him close. The Storm guardian resisted the urge to hug back and pushed him away.

"What's wrong, Tenth? Are you running a fever?" Gokudera felt the Tenth's forehead.

Tsuna giggled. "No, of course I'm not! Look, it'll be easier to talk in here." Tsuna took hold of Gokudera's hand and led him back into the apartment.

Gokudera was flabbergasted. His face was so read that his ears were probably looking the equivalent to being on fire. First he had kissed, then hugged, and now was holding hands. With Tsuna. Was this a dream? Maybe he had fallen asleep after all.

They finally sat down in Gokudera's room, next to each other on the bomber's bed.

"So…" Gokudera said, trying to segue into an explanation.

"My mom told me something right after I got back from the past," Tsuna said quickly. He had an impatient look on his face, which Gokudera took as annoyance. "She said…"

About half an hour ago…

"Tsu-kun! Tsu-kun! I just remembered something!" Nana said excitedly.

"What, Mom?" Tsuna was exhausted. It had been a long day.

"I remember a day when you were little, about ten years ago, when you went missing for a day," Nana said, tapping her chin, as if trying to remember what had happened.

"What about it?" Tsuna was in no way surprised that Nana had lost him, even though he knew that day was ten years ago today and Nana's five-year-old son had been thrown through time ten years in the future.

"After we found you, you were crying your eyes out, talking about seeing 'Hayato-niisan' again. You said he took care of you and I had no idea what you were talking about. You always talked about his gray hair and how nice he was," Nana said. 

Realization dawned on Tsuna as Nana said, "Whoever you were talking about reminds me a lot of Gokudera-kun. Isn't that funny?"

Tsuna remembered the man who had taken care of him ten years ago. He remembered a gentle giant with long fingers. He protected him and kept him safe and warm. Tsuna suddenly relived the last ten years of his life wondering about his silver-haired hero.

"You remembered me?" Gokudera said, incredulous.

"Its amazing. For me, it happened ten years ago. For you, it happened a few hours ago," Tsuna said. "But I know I remember one thing."

Gokudera turned to him and found that Tsuna had leaned in and was kissing him again. This time it was a lot less surprising and very gentle. He pulled back and he looked deep into Hayato's emerald eyes and said, "'I love you, Hayato-niisan'."

Gokudera's face turned red in a flash and he couldn't comprehend what was going on.

"W-Wha-?"

"I know this is weird, Gokudera-kun," Tsuna said. "I know you weren't expecting this, but… I can't help it. I love you even more than I did before."

"You… what? Before?" Gokudera asked. "What do you mean 'before'?"

"I love you, Gokudera-kun," Tsuna said. "I loved you before I went into the past and I missed you for every second but… being reminded that of what you did for me in the past…. I couldn't believe that I could love someone so much."

"Y-You... You're serious, right?" Gokudera asked.

Tsuna's eyes narrowed. "Do I look like I'm kidding?"

"No… I just can't believe that this is happening," Gokudera said, looking down at his lap. "I-…"

"Gokudera-kun?" Tsuna asked, bending his head and trying to see Gokudera's face.

"I'm so happy!" the Storm lifted his head and flashed his biggest smile.

"Wait, so…"

"I love you, too, Tenth."

Tsuna blinked and in the next second, he had dove on top of the silverette, his arms wrapped tight around him. Gokudera fell backwards against the bed and found himself looking back up at the brunette.

"I've been waiting ten years for this," Tsuna said, smiling and leaning in for another kiss.


End file.
